There are many reasons that the world has been looking for and creating alternatives to natural diamonds. Many people find the purchase of the so-called conflict or "blood diamonds" from Africa to be morally wrong. In addition, diamonds are used in a variety of industrial processes, and rather than deplete supplies and spend more money on natural industrial grade gems, these industries are more often turning to lab created versions. There are benefits with these in costs savings as well as consistency in samples supplied.

A lab created stone is the real thing - a gem developed in a laboratory by man rather than by nature. They are chemically the same as natural stones and require cutting and polishing as you would a natural diamond. These synthetic diamonds are created using small carbon seeds of natural diamonds, which are then put through a process of extreme heat and pressure. This process can even create the many different colored diamonds that are found in nature by adding traces of the same elements that add the color to natural diamonds.

Lab created diamonds are virtually impossible to tell from natural diamonds. Their visual, physical, and chemical characteristics are almost identical. Synthetic diamonds sold in jewelry stores should be identified as being laboratory grown. However, man-made diamonds are not that common and make up a tiny part of the diamond market. Lab created gems are most commonly made for use in industry.

It should be noted that genuine synthetic stones created in a lab are real diamonds. But simulated stones like cubic zirconia and moissanite are not diamonds and contain no carbon crystals at all. The best way to quickly tell the difference between natural or lab created diamonds and simulated stones is to weigh them. The weight of the simulated version can be almost twice as much as that of real diamonds.